Tension mechanism for wire-fence machines.



. PATENTED JAN. 23, 1906. A. I. BAGKLIN & L'EKLUND,

TENSION MECHANISM FOR WIRE FENCE MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 810,695. PATENTED JAN. 23, 1906. A. P. BAOKLIN & I. EKLUND. TENSION MECHANISM FOR WIRE FENCE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG 21, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED JAN. 23, 1906.

A. F. BAGKLIN & I. EKLUND. EGHANISM FOR WIRE FENCE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG, 21. 1905.

TENSION M 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

as i j l ,fiwerzibm.

@gLwnwa 772 r mf UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AXEL F. BACKLIN AND IDOFF EKLUND, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHU- SETTS, ASSIGNORS TO THE AMERICAN STEEL & WIRE COMPANY OF NEW JERSEY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- TION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 1906.

Application filed August 21, 1905. Serial No. 275,006.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, AXEL F. BACKLIN and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in wire-fence machines of the type covered by patent to A. J. Bates, granted October 19, 1897, Serial No. 591,996, and more particularly to the tension mechanism by means of which the stay-wires are fed into position to be interlocked with each other and with the strand-wires through the operation of the twisters. In machines of this general type which are adapted for making different spaces between the stay-wires the necessary adjustments of the feed and tension devices could not be effected with expedition, as in the old forms of machine it required time and involved much difiiculty to substitute different sizes of feed-rolls for varying the rate of feed of the stay-wires and also for regulating the tension thereof, and furthermore, as the feed-rolls became worn it was found extremely difficult to make quick tension-adjustments. The present invention was designed to obviate these difficulties by providing a feed and tension device for the staywires of such a character that the necessary changes for different spacing between the staysmay be effected with great facility and the tension of the feed-rolls may be quickly and accurately adjusted at all times. To this end the tension mechanism comprises a shaft having feed-rolls thereon, a series of pivoted levers each having a feed-roll thereon cooperating with a corresponding feedroll on the shaft, and means for adjusting the pivoted levers relatively to said shaft to vary the tension of said rolls, the common feedroll shaft and the various feed-rolls mounted upon the pivoted levers being readily removable to permit other rolls ofdifferent sizes to be applied.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of the forward end of a wire-fence machine, showing the invention ap lied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereo Fig. 3 is a horizontal section. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the mechanism for operating the feed-roll drive-shaft, and Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, 0, indicates the framework of the machine, having the usual top and bottom plates.

1) indicates the vertical shaft, ournaled on the machine-frame and preferably formed of sections united by a suitable coupling to facilitate the removal of the portion thereof containing the feed-rolls.

Secured to the upper end of the shaft 1) above the top plate of the machine is a bevelpinion c, by means of which intermittent rotatory movement is imparted to said shaft, as will be more particularly explained hereinafter.

Mounted at suitable intervals along the shaft I) are series of feed-rolls f, having formed therewith spur-gears e.

Pivoted upon a common shaft h, mounted on the side of the machine-frame, are a series of levers g, each comprising two lateral projections 11, forming, with cap-pieces i, suitable stub-shaft bearings, and a rearwardlyextending arm g, provided with a slot at its end. Mounted in the yoke-like portions of each lever g is a stub-shaft 7c, journaled in bearings or brasses j, and upon each of said stub-shafts is mounted a feed-roll m, cooperating with the corresponding feed-roll f on the shaft 1), and below said feed-roll 'mis a pinion Z, meshing with and driven by the spurgear 6, corresponding thereto, on the shaft 6.

Secured to the forward slotted end of each lever g, by means of a pin 0, is an eyebolt or rod n, which passes through a suitable hole in the side wall of the machine-frame and has mounted thereon a helical spring 1), which is confined between the machine-frame and a washer g on the bolt by a set-nut 1', by means of which the tension of said spring may be varied at will to correspondingly vary the tension on the feed-roll m. By increasing the tension of the spring 19 it will be seen that the feed-roll m will be held with greater force in contact with the wire strand that is being fed between said feed-roll m and-its mating roll f, and, correspondingly, if the tension thus impressed upon the wire is found to be too great it maybe readily regulated by slacking up the set-nut r and relieving the tension of the spring p.

In order to introduce the stay-wires between the respective sets of feed-rolls, special means are provided for throwing each set of feed-rolls temporarily out of gear. In its preferred form this means consists of a lever s, pivoted in the slotted end of lever g and having a camming end t, which engages the side wall of the machine-frame when said lever 8 is moved outwardly, to swing lever g laterally away from the machine-frame against the tension of spring p, thereby moving feed-roll m sufficiently far away from its mating roll f to permit the wire to be introduced between said feed-rolls. After this has been accomplished lever s is moved back to its normal position, whereupon spring 1) swings lever g inward to bring feed-roll m into proper relation to engage the Wire between its peripheraledge and that of itsmating roll f.

When it is desired to change the spacing between the stay-wires, it will be necessery, of course, to change the rate of feed of said stay-wires, which in turn will involve a change in the relative sizes of the feed-rolls. To effect this, the lower section of shaft b, with its attached feed-rolls, is removed and a similar shaft having rolls of the proper size thereon substituted. Each of the stub-shafts k is removed from its bearings in the corresponding levers g and other stub-shafts having the proper-sized feed-rolls thereon to cooperate with the substitute rolls f slipped in position. To effect this latter operation expeditiously, the levers g are swung out on their ivotal connections with the shaft h by reeasing the bolts n from their connections withthe ends of the said levers by simply lifting out the pins 0, connecting. said bolts to the respective levers. The various cap-pieces '1', are then removed and the stub-shafts with their attached feed-rolls taken out of the bearings and the substitute rolls inserted,-

after which the levers are severally reconnected to their tension-bolts n. Should the feedrolls become worn and the tension on the wire be decreased for this reason, it may be regularly brought up to the required point by increasing the tension on spring 7), as heretofore described.

It will be understood that the feed-rolls f and m are driven with an intermittent motion to feed the stay-wires forward during the intervals While the coilers are idle and to remain themselves idle during the coiling operation. The intermittent motion of the feedrolls is effected by means of a bevel-gear a, meshing with the pinion c at the end of shaft 1), said gear a being mounted upon a countershaft b, journaled in stand-bearings on the top plate of the machine-frame. Said shaft 7) is given a partial rotation for each operation of the machine by means of a ratchet 0, fixed to said shaft, which is picked forward one quarter of a turn for each operation by means of a pawl 1c, mounted upon arms a of an oscillatory sleeve (1, surrounding said shaft 1), which arms a are likewise connected oted levers relatively to said shaft to vary the tension on said rolls.

2. Tension mechanism for wire-fence machines, comprising a shaft, feed-rolls thereon, a series of pivoted levers each having a feedroll thereon cooperating with a corresponding feed-roll on the shaft, gears connecting the respective pairs of rolls, and means for adjusting the pivoted levers relatively to the shaft to vary the tension on said rolls.

3. Tension mechanism for wire-fence machines, comprising a shaft, feed-rolls thereon,

a series of pivoted levers each having a feed- I roll thereon cooperating with a corresponding feed-roll on the shaft, gears connecting the respective lever-supported feed-rolls with the shaft, and a yieldable adjustable connection between each lever and the machineframe to vary the tension on said rolls.

4. Tension mechanism for Wire-fence machines, comprising a shaft, feed-rolls thereon, a series of pivoted levers each havinga feedroll thereon cooperating with a corresponding feed-roll on the shaft, a yieldable adjustable connection between each lever and the machine-frame to vary the tension on said rolls, and a cam device cooperating with each lever and the machine-frame to move said lever independently of said connection.

5. Tension mechanism for Wire-fence ma chines, comprising a shaft, feed-rolls thereon,

a series of'pivoted levers each having a feedthe respective lever-supported feed-rolls with the shaft, a bolt connected to each lever and passing through the machine-frame, and an adjustable spring connecting each bolt with the machine-frame, wherebythe tension of said rolls may be varied.

7. Tension mechanism for wire-fence machines, comprising a shaft, feed-rolls thereon, a series of pivoted levers each having a feedroll thereon cooperating with a corresponding feed-roll on the shaft, a bolt connected to each lever and passing through the machineframe, an adjustable spring connecting each bolt with the machine-frame to vary the tension of said rolls, and a cam-lever pivoted to each lever and cooperating with the machineframe to move said lever in opposition to the spring-and-bolt connection.

8. Tension mechanism for wire-fence machines, comprising a series of driving feedrolls, a cooperating series of driven feed-rolls, and pivoted adjustable bearings for varying the distance between the axes of the respective series of rolls, whereby said rolls may be replaced by other rolls of different diameters.

9. Tension mechanism for wire-fence machines, comprising a series of driving feedrolls, a cooperating series of driven feed-rolls, and pivoted levers supporting the latter series of rolls, whereby the distance between the axes of the respective series of rolls may be varied to permit rolls of difierent diameters to be substituted.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

AXEL F. BAOKLIN. IDOFF EKLUND. Witnesses:

WM. A. BACON, v CHAS. M. BooTH. 

